The state of Washington began registration of deaths July 1, 1907. This collection covers from then until 1960.&nbsp;

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== Record Description ==

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== Record History ==

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This Collection includes records from 1907 to 1960.

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The legislature in 1891 made it responsibility of all coroners, physicians, and midwives or any other person assisting in the birth of a child to report to the county auditor all deaths which came under their supervision. Death registrations prior to 1907 are filed in the counties. A licensed funeral director is now required to complete the death certificate before a burial permit can be issued.&nbsp;Initially, registration was very incomplete. The law was generally complied with by 1917.&nbsp;

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Each death is reported on a one-page pre-printed form. Early certificates from 1907-1947 are filed by year within each county or large city. Counties are arranged alphabetically. Large cities are arranged alphabetically following the county lists. Certificates are arranged by number within the county or city. Each county or city numbered their own certificates beginning with number one.&nbsp; In 1948, a revised statewide numbering system was instituted.

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=== Why This Record Was Created ===

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The legislature in 1891 made it the responsibility of all coroners, physicians, and midwives or any other person assisting in the birth of a child to report to the county auditor all deaths which came under their supervision. Death registrations prior to 1907 were filed in the counties. From 1907 to 1960 the records were filed in the health department offices of the counties or the cities. From time to time county names and county boundaries changed, and several changes took place within the range of this records series. For example, Chehalis County became Grays Harbor County. The list of cities that maintained their own separate health departments also increased. In 1907, the cities were Bellingham, Everett, Seattle, Spokane, and Tacoma.&nbsp; By 1948, there were 21 cities. These changes should always be considered when researching in the records series.&nbsp;

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Deaths were recorded to serve public health needs. They are also used to probate wills and administer the deceased person’s estate.&nbsp;

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Initially, registration was very incomplete. The law was generally complied with by 1917. A licensed funeral director is now required to complete the death certificate before a burial or transit permit can be issued.&nbsp;

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=== Record Reliability ===

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The state of Washington began registration of deaths July 1, 1907. This collection covers from then until 1960.&nbsp;

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Death certificates are reliable for the death date and place of the deceased. Burial information is generally very reliable unless the burial took place out of the state. Other information provided will only be as reliable as the informant’s knowledge or memory.&nbsp;

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Deaths were recorded to serve public health needs. They are also used to probate wills and administer the deceased person’s estate.

−

== Record Description ==

+

Death certificates are reliable for the death date and place of the deceased. Burial information is generally very reliable unless the burial took place out of the state. Other information provided will only be as reliable as the informant’s knowledge or memory.

−

Each death is reported on a one page pre-printed form. Certificates are filed by year within each county or large city. Counties are arranged alphabetically. Large cities are arranged alphabetically following the county lists. Certificates are arranged by number within the county or city. Each county or city numbered their own certificates beginning with number one.&nbsp;

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=== Citation for This Collection ===

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=== Record&nbsp;Content ===

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The following citation refers to the original source of the information published in FamilySearch.org Historical Record collections. Sources include the author, custodian, publisher and archive for the original records.

*Name of cemetery where buried or other disposition of remains, such as cremation or removal from place of death

*Frequently, the birth date and/or age, written as years, months, and days, of the deceased

*Frequently, the birth date and/or age, written as years, months, and days, of the deceased

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*Frequently, the names of parents including the maiden name of mother and the married name of spouse

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*Frequently, the names of parents, including the maiden name of mother and the married name of spouse

*Frequently, the country or state and sometimes the town and county of birth for the deceased and the parents

*Frequently, the country or state and sometimes the town and county of birth for the deceased and the parents

*Name of the informant, who is often a child or other family member

*Name of the informant, who is often a child or other family member

*The sex and marital status of the deceased

*The sex and marital status of the deceased

*Residence or address of the deceased, often including length of residence at that place

*Residence or address of the deceased, often including length of residence at that place

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*Occupation of the deceased

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*Occupation of the deceased

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*Cause of death of the deceased, as certified by a medical practitioner or county coroner

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== How To Use The Record ==

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== How to Use the Record ==

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Use death certificates to obtain death information. You may also find burial information. The certificates normally provide clues for further research: names of parents, birth date, birthplace, place of residence, and name of spouse. The informant may be a spouse or child.&nbsp;

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Begin your search by finding your ancestors in the index. Name indexes to deaths make it possible to access a specific record quickly. Remember that these indexes may contain inaccuracies, such as altered spellings, misinterpretations, and optical character recognition errors if the information was scanned.

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== Related Web Sites ==

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When searching the index it is helpful to know the following:

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This section of the article is incomplete. You can help FamilySearch Wiki by supplying links to related websites here.<br>

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*The place where the death occurred

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*The name of the person at the time of death

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*The approximate death date

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== Related Wiki Articles <br> ==

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Use the locator information found in the index (such as page, entry, or certificate number) to locate your ancestor in the death records. Some on-line indexes, such as indexes to FamilySearch Historical Records, will take you directly to an image. Compare the information in the death record to what you already know about your ancestor to determine if this is the correct person. You may need to compare the information of more than one person to make this determination.

When you have located your ancestor’s death record, carefully evaluate each piece of information given. These pieces of information may give you new biographical details that can lead you to other records about your ancestors. Add this new information to your records of each family.

*Use the birth date or age along with the place of birth to find or verify their birth records and parents' names.

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*Use the birth date or age along with the place of birth to find the family in census records.

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*Use the residence and names of the parents (if the deceased is a child) to locate church and land records.

+

*Occupations listed can lead you to other types of records such as employment or military records.

+

*Use the parents' birth places to find former residences and to establish a migration pattern for the family.

+

*The name of the officiator is a clue to their religion or area of residence in the county.

+

*The name of the undertaker or mortuary could lead you to funeral and cemetery records which often include the names and residences of other family members.

+

*Compile the entries for every person who has the same surname; this is especially helpful in rural areas or if the surname is unusual.

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*Continue to search the records to identify children, siblings, parents, and other relatives of the deceased who may have died or been buried in the same county or nearby. This can help you identify other generations of your family or even the second marriage of a parent. Repeat this process for each new generation you identify.

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*When looking for a person who had a common name, look at all the entries for the name before deciding which is correct.

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A [http://www.familysearch.org/eng/library/fhlcatalog/supermainframeset.asp?display=titledetails&columns=*%2C0%2C0&titleno=179363 full bibliographic record] is available in the Family History Library Catalog.<br>

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If you are unable to find the ancestors you are looking for, try the following:

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==== How to Cite Your Sources ====

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*Check for variant spellings of the surnames.

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*Check for a different index. There are often indexes at the beginning of each volume.

*The information in these records is usually reliable, but depends upon the reliability of the informant.

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*Earlier records may not contain as much information as the records created after the late 1800s.

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*There is also some variation in the information given from one record to another record.

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''Instructions for citing this source can be found at: [[How to Cite FamilySearch Collections|How to Cite FamilySearch Collections]]''<br>

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For a summary of this information see the wiki article: [[United States, How to Use the Records Summary (FamilySearch Historical Records)|United States, How to Use the Records Summary (FamilySearch Historical Records)]].

<br>

<br>

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== Related Websites ==

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*[http://www.washingtonpublicrecord.com/ State of Washington Public Records]

When you copy information from a record, you should list where you found the information. This will help you or others to find the record again. It is also good to keep track of records where you did not find information, including the names of the people you looked for in the records.

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A suggested format for keeping track of records that you have searched is found in the wiki article [[Help:How to Cite FamilySearch Collections]].

Contents

Record Description

This Collection includes records from 1907 to 1960.

Each death is reported on a one-page pre-printed form. Early certificates from 1907-1947 are filed by year within each county or large city. Counties are arranged alphabetically. Large cities are arranged alphabetically following the county lists. Certificates are arranged by number within the county or city. Each county or city numbered their own certificates beginning with number one. In 1948, a revised statewide numbering system was instituted.

The legislature in 1891 made it the responsibility of all coroners, physicians, and midwives or any other person assisting in the birth of a child to report to the county auditor all deaths which came under their supervision. Death registrations prior to 1907 were filed in the counties. From 1907 to 1960 the records were filed in the health department offices of the counties or the cities. From time to time county names and county boundaries changed, and several changes took place within the range of this records series. For example, Chehalis County became Grays Harbor County. The list of cities that maintained their own separate health departments also increased. In 1907, the cities were Bellingham, Everett, Seattle, Spokane, and Tacoma. By 1948, there were 21 cities. These changes should always be considered when researching in the records series.

Initially, registration was very incomplete. The law was generally complied with by 1917. A licensed funeral director is now required to complete the death certificate before a burial or transit permit can be issued.

The state of Washington began registration of deaths July 1, 1907. This collection covers from then until 1960.

Deaths were recorded to serve public health needs. They are also used to probate wills and administer the deceased person’s estate.

Death certificates are reliable for the death date and place of the deceased. Burial information is generally very reliable unless the burial took place out of the state. Other information provided will only be as reliable as the informant’s knowledge or memory.

Citation for This Collection

The following citation refers to the original source of the information published in FamilySearch.org Historical Record collections. Sources include the author, custodian, publisher and archive for the original records.

Record Content

Name of cemetery where buried or other disposition of remains, such as cremation or removal from place of death

Frequently, the birth date and/or age, written as years, months, and days, of the deceased

Frequently, the names of parents, including the maiden name of mother and the married name of spouse

Frequently, the country or state and sometimes the town and county of birth for the deceased and the parents

Name of the informant, who is often a child or other family member

The sex and marital status of the deceased

Residence or address of the deceased, often including length of residence at that place

Occupation of the deceased

Cause of death of the deceased, as certified by a medical practitioner or county coroner

How to Use the Record

Begin your search by finding your ancestors in the index. Name indexes to deaths make it possible to access a specific record quickly. Remember that these indexes may contain inaccuracies, such as altered spellings, misinterpretations, and optical character recognition errors if the information was scanned.

When searching the index it is helpful to know the following:

The place where the death occurred

The name of the person at the time of death

The approximate death date

Use the locator information found in the index (such as page, entry, or certificate number) to locate your ancestor in the death records. Some on-line indexes, such as indexes to FamilySearch Historical Records, will take you directly to an image. Compare the information in the death record to what you already know about your ancestor to determine if this is the correct person. You may need to compare the information of more than one person to make this determination.

When you have located your ancestor’s death record, carefully evaluate each piece of information given. These pieces of information may give you new biographical details that can lead you to other records about your ancestors. Add this new information to your records of each family.

For example:

Use the birth date or age along with the place of birth to find or verify their birth records and parents' names.

Use the birth date or age along with the place of birth to find the family in census records.

Use the residence and names of the parents (if the deceased is a child) to locate church and land records.

Occupations listed can lead you to other types of records such as employment or military records.

Use the parents' birth places to find former residences and to establish a migration pattern for the family.

The name of the officiator is a clue to their religion or area of residence in the county.

The name of the undertaker or mortuary could lead you to funeral and cemetery records which often include the names and residences of other family members.

Compile the entries for every person who has the same surname; this is especially helpful in rural areas or if the surname is unusual.

Continue to search the records to identify children, siblings, parents, and other relatives of the deceased who may have died or been buried in the same county or nearby. This can help you identify other generations of your family or even the second marriage of a parent. Repeat this process for each new generation you identify.

When looking for a person who had a common name, look at all the entries for the name before deciding which is correct.

If you are unable to find the ancestors you are looking for, try the following:

Check for variant spellings of the surnames.

Check for a different index. There are often indexes at the beginning of each volume.

Search the indexes and records of nearby counties.

Keep in mind:

The information in these records is usually reliable, but depends upon the reliability of the informant.

Earlier records may not contain as much information as the records created after the late 1800s.

There is also some variation in the information given from one record to another record.

Related Websites

Related Wiki Articles

Contributions to This Article

We welcome user additions to FamilySearch Historical Records wiki articles. Guidelines are available to help you make changes. Thank you for any contributions you may provide. If you would like to get more involved join the WikiProject FamilySearch Records.

Citing FamilySearch Historical Collections

When you copy information from a record, you should list where you found the information. This will help you or others to find the record again. It is also good to keep track of records where you did not find information, including the names of the people you looked for in the records.